How Speeding Tickets Affect Your Car Insurance Rates in New York
Last Updated on April 18, 2022
Getting a speeding ticket will raise car insurance premiums in New York.
New York drivers, like drivers in most states, pay higher rates after receiving a speeding ticket. The more speeding tickets and citations you receive, the more you’ll pay for car insurance.
Speeding Tickets Raise Premiums 14% in New York, On Average
According to a 2021 study by Bankrate, a single speeding ticket increases premiums by around 14% in New York.
Insurers raise premiums after a speeding ticket because you’re a higher risk driver to insure. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 30% of traffic fatalities involve speeding.
If you have been caught speeding, then you’re more likely to cause an accident or be involved in an accident, so insurers raise rates to compensate for this higher risk.
How Much Do Speeding Tickets Cost in New York?
A speeding ticket raises insurance premiums in New York, but it also costs money upfront. Depending on your speeding ticket and its severity, you could pay fines or even go to jail.
New York categorizes speeding tickets based on the following three limits:
- Up to 10mph over the speed limit: $45 to $150 in fines with maximum jail time of up to 15 days
- 11 to 30mph over the speed limit: $90 to $300 in fines with maximum jail time of up to 30 days
- Over 30mph over the speed limit: $180 to $600 in fines with maximum jail time of up to 30 days
New York Speeding Ticket Points
New York also uses a points system to track driving behavior. Speeding tickets add points to your license. The more points you have, the more you’ll pay for insurance – and the higher your risk of license suspension.
Drivers with more than 11 points in an 18-month window could face license suspension. You may also need to pay a reinstatement fee or take a driver safety course.
The faster you were speeding, the more points you’ll receive:
- 1-10mph: 3 points
- 11-20mph: 4 points
- 21-30mph: 6 points
- 31-40mph: 8 points
- 41mph or higher: 11 points
How Much More Will You Pay for Car Insurance After a Speeding Ticket in New York?
Even if you have a clean record, insurers in New York may raise rates significantly after a speeding ticket.
According to a 2021 Bankrate study, drivers pay 12% to 17% higher rates after a single speeding ticket.
The average 40-year old driver in New York pays $2,321 per year for car insurance. After a speeding ticket, your rates rise to an average of $2,648 per year, which is a gain of around 14%.
Insurers may adjust rates based on your age and other factors. Men tend to pay higher rates after speeding tickets than women in New York, for example. A single speeding ticket raised male insurance rates by 17%, according to the Bankrate study, while the same speeding ticket raised female insurance rates by 12%.
Multiple Speeding Tickets Could Raise Rates by 30% or More
The more speeding tickets you receive, the more you’ll pay. A single speeding ticket raises rates by 14%, on average. However, multiple speeding tickets could raise rates by 30% or more.
Getting multiple speeding tickets in a short period is associated with significantly higher car insurance premiums. It indicates a habit of driving above posted speed limits, which is associated with a higher risk of damaging your vehicle or causing an accident. Insurers raise rates to compensate this risk.
According to our research, getting multiple speeding tickets within a three year period in New York could raise rates 20% to 40%, depending on your driver profile.
Meanwhile, getting three or more speeding tickets could raise rates 50%. Some insurers even cancel your policy (or issue a notice of non-renewal) after three speeding tickets – especially if they were serious speeding tickets.
How to Save Money on Car Insurance After a Speeding Ticket
There are ways to save money on car insurance after a speeding ticket.
Some of the best ways to reduce premiums even with a speeding ticket include:
Take a Point and Insurance Reduction Program (PIRP): New York offers a program called PIRP to help drivers remove points from their record, saving them money on car insurance premiums. There’s no cost to the cost, and you can take it entirely online. Taking the course doesn’t remove the speeding ticket from your record, but it does remove points. If you have too many points on your record, then you could face license suspension. Use the PIRP program to avoid license suspension.
Shop Around: Some New York insurers take speeding tickets more seriously than others. Shop around to ensure you’re working with the best insurer for your unique needs. Some insurers only raise rates 5% after a single speeding ticket, for example, while others raise rates 25%. By shopping around, you can find the optimal insurance for your unique needs. Most insurers make it easy to cancel and switch auto insurance at any time.
Ask About Discounts: All insurers offer discounts. Check discounts available with your insurer. Some insurers have driver tracking programs to reduce premiums, for example, while others let you take a simple online course to save.
Bundle Multiple Policies Together: Bundling multiple policies and multiple insurance products together is a great way to save money across all policies. Switch all your insurance policies to a single company to take advantage of bundling discounts.
The best way to avoid higher premiums is to avoid another citation. Drive at posted speed limits and avoid risky driving behavior until the speeding ticket disappears from your record after three to five years. Otherwise, second and subsequent offenses could raise premiums even higher.
Final Word on Speeding Tickets in New York
The average driver in New York pays around $2,100 per year for full coverage car insurance, which is much higher than the nationwide average of around $1,450 per year.
After a speeding ticket, your premiums could rise around 14%. However, depending on your insurer, a single speeding ticket could raise rates as little as 5% or as much as 25%.
The more speeding tickets you receive, the more you’ll pay. Multiple speeding tickets within a three-year period could increase premiums by 30% to 50%.
Shop around and compare quotes online today to ensure you’re paying the best possible rates for car insurance after your speeding ticket in New York.
